Tuesday June 3, 2025
FILE – Kenyan Special Operations Group (SOG) officers prepare for deployment in this undated file photo. The elite unit has been involved in recent counterterrorism operations targeting Al-Shabaab militants in Garissa County.
NAIROBI, Kenya (HOL) — Kenyan security forces killed four suspected Al-Shabaab militants during a dawn raid on Monday in Garissa County, northeastern Kenya, in what police described as a coordinated counterterrorism operation led by the elite Special Operations Group (SOG).
The raid targeted hideouts in the Najo and Guracho areas—locations identified by authorities as key operational zones for the Somalia-based militant group. The operation was conducted based on specific intelligence reports and surveillance, which confirmed militant activity in the region, according to the National Police Service (NPS).
A gun battle broke out after the suspects resisted arrest, prompting security forces to return fire. All four suspects were fatally shot at the scene. Authorities recovered four AK-47 rifles, a PKM machine gun, large quantities of ammunition, and several communication devices from the site. Officers also seized additional undisclosed items believed to have been used to coordinate attacks.
“This successful operation marks yet another major victory in a series of well-coordinated efforts that continue to cripple Al-Shabaab’s activities,” the NPS said in a statement on Tuesday.
No casualties were reported among the Kenyan forces, and no damage to civilian infrastructure was recorded.
Garissa County, which borders Somalia, has long been vulnerable to cross-border incursions by Al-Shabaab, which has targeted civilian and security sites in the region for over a decade. Police said the operation was part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt the militant network’s operations in northeastern Kenya.
Weapons recovered by Kenyan security forces following a dawn raid targeting Al-Shabaab militants in Garissa’s Najo and Guracho areas, June 2, 2025. Authorities say four AK-47 rifles, a PKM machine gun, and ammunition were seized during the operation.
